Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
Countdown to America’s 250th Birthday
The Mr. Local History Project is about bringing New Jersey’s past into the present through the stories of real places, real people, and real communities. Focused especially on New Jersey history, the project celebrates local history in a way that feels personal, engaging, and relevant, not something locked away in textbooks, but history that lives where we live. As we head into 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, Mr. Local History is turning history into a shared experience. With a social twist, this is about connecting online and in the community, sharing memories, spotlighting hometown stories, and honoring New Jersey’s outsized role in America’s founding. It is history you can explore, share, and be part of together.
Today in America’s History (We Update Every Day)
- 1665: Thomas Willett is appointed the first mayor of New York City.
- 1775: American War of Independence: British general Thomas Gage declares martial law in Massachusetts. The British offer a pardon to all colonists who lay down their arms. There would be only two exceptions to the amnesty: Samuel Adams and John Hancock, if captured, were to be hanged.
- 1776: The Virginia Declaration of Rights is adopted.
- 1864: American Civil War, Overland Campaign: Battle of Cold Harbor: Ulysses S. Grant gives the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee a victory when he pulls his Union troops from their position at Cold Harbor, Virginia and moves south.
- 1899: New Richmond tornado: The ninth deadliest tornado in U.S. history kills 117 people and injures around 200.
- 1939: The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York.
- 1967: The United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia declares all U.S. state laws that prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional.
- 1982: A nuclear disarmament rally and concert is held in New York City.
- 1987: Cold War: At the Brandenburg Gate, U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
- 2016: Forty-nine civilians are killed and 58 others injured in an attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States; the gunman, Omar Mateen, is killed in a gunfight with police.
Two Great Calendars – One for Events, One for Exhibits
ABOVE: America Celebrating 250 Years in New Jersey Calendar
BELOW: New Jersey Exhibits across New Jersey Calendar
Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
PreSale Keepsakes: Preserving America’s 250-Year History 5 Jersey Icons
Views: 27 Mr Local History and the Cat’s Meow Village partner to create a small piece of New Jersey’s part in America’s 250th Celebration. This is a PRE-SALE offer, as the set will be custom-made, which increases its collectible value.…
America’s Grandest Estate in Basking Ridge Archaeological Dig Continues
Views: 63 As New Jersey commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American experience, the archaeological work at Lord Stirling Manor represents one of Somerset County’s most significant contributions to the America 250 effort. By uncovering the physical remains of William…
The Great Swamp: Ice Age, Melting, Airports, Swampers, Raptors, Fireworks & Horror Tales
Views: 548 At first glance, the Great Swamp seems peaceful, a quiet stretch of reeds, willows, and winding creeks lying between Basking Ridge, Harding, and Chatham. Yet beneath its still surface lies a story that spans thousands of years, from…
Perth Amboy’s Great Jersey History
Views: 467 One of the things we enjoy most about the Mr. Local History Project is discovering how seemingly unrelated stories eventually connect. Over the years, we’ve crossed paths with Perth Amboy through the lives of New Jersey’s Royal Governors,…
Historic Ice Yacht Gifted to Lake Hopatcong Club- It’s “Ours”
Views: 91 On February 9, 2026, Brian Haumersen and Mike D Achille returned the historic ice yacht OURS to the ice of the Navesink River at the North Shrewsbury Ice Boat and Yacht Club for the first time in approximately…
That 1779/1780 Winter at Jockey Hollow and a Hut City
Views: 490 Everyone knows the story of Valley Forge. But it’s Jockey Hollow you need to remember. For generations, Americans have learned about George Washington’s Army suffering through the winter of 1777–1778 in Pennsylvania. Valley Forge has become synonymous with…
Documenting the Ridge High School Sailing Program
Views: 158 This post is part of a series in which the Mr. Local History Project will document what we believe are the early stages of a new varsity sport across the state. We plan to meet with the New…
America 250 – Who Remembers 200? This Jersey Guy Does…
Views: 137 If you didn’t feel old, you might start feeling old if you read on. Where did time go? It wasn’t that long ago, was it? Boy, do I feel old. And it’s not that I really feel that…
Statue of Liberty History, Then Some Facts – Jersey Style of Course
Views: 528 The Statue of Liberty’s official name is “Liberty Enlightening the World”. In French:”La Liberté éclairant le monde” Her raised torch represents enlightenment, while the tablet in her left arm bears the date JULY IV MDCCLXXVI — July 4,…
High School Sailing Teams in New Jersey …Who Knew
Views: 437 Long before football stadium lights, marching bands, and Friday night rivalries, a quieter competition was taking shape along New Jersey’s bays, rivers, and coastlines. Students were racing sailboats. Today, high school sailing is an established part of the…
Overlooked Heroines of the Revolutionary War – Sarah Livingston Alexander
Views: 66 Part of the Mr. Local History Rev War and Lord Stirling Series As we were researching another story, we came across this really interesting piece published in 1914 about one of the Revolutionary War’s greatest generals, William Alexander,…
MLH Loves To See The Public Engaged….. The Latest Comments
When I moved to Martinsville section of Bridgewater 44 yrs. ago, the western side of Shley Mtn. was a huge…
Grew up at on So. 10th EWR. Went to St. Ann’s grammar school on 16th and 7th. Graduated 1956. Mom…
Please advise if Sky Farm is having an open house because the date within this document says June 11th Saturday…
I was a resident of Peapack , living on the road known as Matheny road during the years that Jacqueline…
Jimmy was an integral part of the services throughout the town and was always actively involved. He was always very…
A wonderful man, a hero and true friend of Basking Ridge. My father-in-law grew up with Mr. D and remained…
Jimmy & I have been the greatest of friends since kindergarten in Basking Ridge, going through Maple Ave School, Oak…
I was was blessed to be good friends with Jim. A fascinating person so dedicated to his country, his wife…
Knew Jim from the first day I opened my office. He was a greeter and now he will be greeted.…
Our Summer 2026 Magazine is HERE!
Full of great local Jersey History to keep you on the edge of your history seat.
Special Edition – America’s 250th The SEMI-QUIN-CENTENNIAL is HERE!
See our special digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.
My Grandfather, Boyd Happe, was a proud member. Raised pheasants on Prospect behind 148 Maple. Those houses had trouble with…